Students ready for new club on Crown Street

Not two months after a clubgoer was fatally stabbed at Sinergy, a now-defunct nightclub on Crown Street, a new club called Static is opening right across the street.

The freshly renovated “ultra-lounge” is an updated version of Oracle, owner Mike Andrews said. Andrews, who has owned the property for six years, said he is intent on attracting college students, especially Yalies.

“You want to keep it fresh and give people something new or else they’re going to go to other places,” Andrews said.

Static has both a dance floor and a lounge area offering softer music. In addition to dancing and drinking, Static’s patrons can dine in the lounge area, he said.

The club features an elaborate system of security cameras and will have an outsourced, professionally-licensed security staff on the premises when it is open, said Steve Gentile, one of Static’s promoters.

“Safety is one thing that we’re definitely sticklers about, especially here in New Haven,” Gentile said. “We’ve taken the right procedures to ensure that nothing like [what happened at Sinergy] happens at our club.”

Security systems like Static’s make fights like the one that left one man dead and another seriously injured Nov. 28 rare, Gentile said. Andrews said he has used the same security company for 10 years and that he has never had a problem with violence in any of his clubs.

In preparation for tonight’s opening, billed as the first of what will be weekly College Thursdays, the club hired Seinne Fleming ’12 to promote Static to Yalies. Fleming said she never attended Sinergy and has not yet been to Static. But she said because there is not much to do Thursday nights in New Haven, the club’s Thursday college night could become an event Yalies habitually attend.

Tonight’s party will feature free admission with a flier before 9:30 p.m. and an open bar until 10:30 p.m. Roughly every three weeks the club will host performers and MTV stars: Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino of MTV’s hit reality show “Jersey Shore” is scheduled to attend Jan. 28, Gentile said.

“Jersey Shore” cast will infiltrate the New Haven nightlife the coming weekends, as well: Vinny Guadagnino and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi will join the crowds at Elevate Lounge and Gotham Citi Cafe tonight and Feb. 4, respectively.

Toad’s Place has yet to schedule an appearance by a cast member, but owner Brian Phelps said he has received inquiries from Yale students requesting the presence of a cast member at Toad’s Wednesday or Saturday night parties, and has contacted Yale student representatives to gauge interest.

As of Wednesday night, over 100 Yalies had RSVP’d on Facebook to Static’s opening night.